Mosquito population targeted with latest insecticide spraying

Wednesday

Jun 14, 2017 at 2:19 PM

Jesse Collings

Bedford's attempts to control the mosquito population will continue Thursday as Bedford will receive another spray of insecticide with the aim of reducing the adult mosquito population in the area. The spraying will take place on Thursday, June 15 between dusk and 11 p.m. according to a notice posted on the town's website.

Spraying is scheduled in neighborhoods in the vicinity of Concord Road, Davis Road, Carlisle Road, and North Road. The aim is cut down on the mosquito population that is breeding in the Concord River flood plain. The spray will be done by the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project (EMMCP) using truck-mounted aerosol sprayers spraying a pesticide called Sumithrin, a chemical compound posing little threat to people or their pets due to low toxicity. The EMMCP is a commission made up of over 20 towns that combine their resources to help deal with the mosquito population.

"Each year the town spends some of its budget on funding the EMMCP, which in return conducts the mosquito spray and gathers data for towns to use," Bedford Director of Public Health Heidi Porter said. "Every spray we do is determined by the data that we receive. We did a spray a couple weeks ago on May 23, and we are doing a second spray in the same area because our data indicates that there is still a large population of mosquitoes there."

Porter said that Bedford does require more attention than other towns when it comes to controlling the mosquito population because of wetlands along the Concord River, as well past instances of mosquito-borne illnesses arising in the community.

"Bedford does have quite a bit of wetlands which serve as breeding areas for mosquitoes," Porter said. "I know that years ago we did have a case of eastern equine encephalitis virus (Triple E) and that really increased the public's attention to the mosquito issue."

One of the challenges in Bedford when it comes to controlling the mosquito population is the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, which stretches through the community.

"The Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge has been an issue because that land is owned by the federal government and we have over the years tried to solicit the government but they have not let us spray in that area," Porter said. "The area abuts the Concord River and is mostly wetlands, which is great for mosquito breeding so we are already fighting an uphill battle."

The process of controlling the population begins in the fall when the EMMCP sets traps at designated locations to determine the potential mosquito population. In early-spring, the EMMCP does a wide spray from a helicopter and sprays a larvicide. Throughout the late-spring and summer the EMMCP will conduct sprays targeting adult mosquitoes whenever their data suggests that the population is too large or that a mosquito is known to be carrying a harmful disease such as Triple E or West Nile fever.

While the EMMCP does its best to monitor the population, Porter also advocates for individuals to personally ensure their own safety from mosquito-borne illnesses.

"A big part of what we do is promote personal protection from mosquitoes," Porter said. "That includes helping out to reduce the mosquito population, such as making sure there is no standing water in your yard as well doing things like having fixed screens on their windows and doors and using repellent."